Orochimaru's Crushing Defeat

Shisui asked Itachi to find time to instruct Naruto in ninjutsu training.

Itachi agreed and told Naruto the location and time for the training.

Naruto stopped bothering Shisui and Itachi and headed home alone.

"The Uchiha Clan is truly blessed by the heavens," Naruto sighed on the way.

A few days later.

The sky was gray and overcast, with a light drizzle falling.

Naruto arrived at the large lake beside the Uchiha residential area wearing a black raincoat, where he saw Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Sasuke.

Sasuke spread his legs, focused his attention, and performed hand seals rapidly.

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

Whoosh!

Sasuke opened his small mouth slightly and exhaled a puff of smoke and fire, which was immediately extinguished by the light rain.

"Brother, what did I do wrong?" Sasuke asked for Itachi's help, looking dejected.

Itachi pointed out, "Your chakra concentration is scattered, and your efficiency is slow. The sequence of hand seals is correct, but don't use seals for now. Practice how to quickly mobilize chakra to your throat first; you need to improve your control."

After hearing this, Sasuke made up his mind that he would perform a perfect Great Fireball Technique today.

"Big Brother Itachi, I'm here." Naruto jumped over.

Sasuke quickly moved a bit further away.

Itachi noticed Sasuke's small movement and smiled knowingly: "Naruto, Guy said you are an excellent student of his. He has returned to the village as well; why didn't he bring you for training?"

Naruto reached his hand out from under his raincoat, feeling the density of the rain: "Teacher Guy took Lee for some unique training. I suppose Teacher Guy has his own reasons! Big Brother Itachi, you wouldn't use that as an excuse to refuse to teach me, would you?"

Uchiha Itachi had promised Shisui he would instruct Naruto well, and he could not go back on his word: "Naruto, what would you like to learn first?"

"Big Brother Itachi, please help me check the issues with my Clone Technique first."

The Sharingan can see the flow of chakra in the human body.

Itachi asked Naruto to perform the Clone Technique.

"Clone!" Naruto shouted, but there was no effect.

After watching the entire process, Itachi pondered for a moment: "There are no problems, and the flow of chakra is fine. This is very strange! Could it be an issue with your own constitution, Naruto?"

Prompted by Itachi, Naruto suddenly thought of a possibility.

"Let me try something else." Naruto recalled the technique and performed hand seals rapidly: "Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique."

Naruto's chakra volume was increasing every minute.

Naruto opened his mouth slightly and blew forward. A massive fireball surged into the lake, releasing waves of heat and, with a loud boom, cooked dozens of fish.

"It really is that," Naruto took a deep breath, having deduced the reason for his problem.

However, the Great Fireball Technique released by Naruto left Itachi incredibly astonished.

Itachi looked at Naruto with admiration; at such a young age, he already possessed a chakra volume equivalent to a Kage, and he had also mastered the nature transformation of the fire element.

Perhaps in a few years, Naruto's strength would surpass that of a Kage.

Itachi thought to himself.

Naruto's performance also stimulated Sasuke, who had been working incredibly hard. The Great Fireball Technique was a basic ninjutsu of the Uchiha Clan that anyone could learn, but the speed of learning varied.

For example, it had only taken Itachi a few seconds.

And Sasuke had already spent two hours on it.

"Naruto, did Shisui teach you this?" Itachi asked.

Naruto said: "Yes, and the Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique as well. I have already learned them both. What does Big Brother Itachi plan to teach me?"

Itachi thought for a moment and said: "Naruto, do you want to learn taijutsu? I know some shurikenjutsu. The hand seal methods for other Fire Release techniques are similar, and they all end with the Tiger seal. I will demonstrate the Phoenix Sage Fire Technique that I know for you."

Itachi broke down the steps and taught them to Naruto.

Naruto took note: "I want to learn shurikenjutsu."

Nearby, Sasuke was a bit impatient, and his execution of the Great Fireball Technique was a bit slow. Fortunately, Itachi intervened in time, though Sasuke's hand was slightly burned.

"Sasuke, don't be impatient." Itachi's tone carried a hint of reproach: "Only by practicing every step solidly can you make real progress."

Naruto took off his raincoat and placed it on the ground: "Sasuke, I think you will succeed if you try three more times."

Sasuke endured the pain, calmed down, and continued his training.

Itachi began to instruct Naruto on how to use shuriken efficiently, the coordination between shuriken and Fire Release, and so on.

Itachi's teaching was very fundamental, which helped Naruto begin to understand concepts like chakra shape transformation, nature transformation, and Kekkei Genkai.

"It's amazing! The combination of nature transformations from different elements can actually form unique attributes. Big Brother Itachi, your teaching is excellent." Naruto gave Itachi a big thumbs up.

Boom!

The fish in the lake suffered again; Sasuke had mastered the Great Fireball Technique, and confidence returned to his face.

"I already knew that knowledge," Sasuke said to Naruto with a haughty air.

Suddenly, a torrential downpour descended.

Uchiha Itachi grabbed Naruto and Sasuke, flickering to a pavilion by the lake to take shelter from the rain.

Pea-sized raindrops created clusters of splashes across the surface of the lake.

Sasuke's face suddenly turned pale, and he stood frozen in place.

Naruto saw a pale-faced man with a smile walking toward them over the surface of the lake.

"An enemy?" Naruto grew vigilant.

Uchiha Itachi tapped Sasuke lightly, helping him break free from the genjutsu.

Sasuke clutched his chest and gasped for air; he had just felt as though someone had pierced his chest and killed him.

Uchiha Itachi activated his Three-Tomoe Sharingan: "Could the person approaching be Orochimaru, one of the Sannin?"

"Uchiha Itachi, I have come to select my next vessel. As it stands, I am quite satisfied with you and the yellow-haired boy beside you," Orochimaru tempted. "Do you desire eternal life? I can help you achieve it."

Naruto did not recognize Orochimaru, nor did he know the reputation of the Sannin; he simply felt that the comprehensive Konoha security forces that Minato Namikaze boasted about every day were starting to look like a joke.

Anyone could come and go as they pleased.

"Big Brother Itachi, these past few days, there have always been old geezers coming to ruin things. Watch me fix this guy." Naruto felt no pressure at all.

Although Sasuke had been freed from the genjutsu, he was completely unable to move under Orochimaru's immense killing intent.

Itachi held Naruto back: "Naruto, you are truly formidable, but this matter should be handled by me."

"Orochimaru, since you have come, there is no need for you to leave." Itachi activated his Mangekyō Sharingan: "Tsukuyomi."

Agh!

Orochimaru paid the price for his arrogance, his spirit trapped within the dark red world of the Tsukuyomi, enduring endless agony with every passing second.

Orochimaru struggled: "The Sharingan—what immense ocular power! Uchiha Itachi, I will remember you."

Bang!

On the lake surface, Orochimaru, who had been in human form, instantly split into countless small snakes.

Orochimaru abandoned a vessel, with only a sliver of his presence clinging to a single small snake as it darted into the depths of the lake to escape.

Uchiha Itachi instantly threw a sky full of shuriken, eliminating the fleeing snakes with blinding speed.

"Orochimaru still managed to escape." Uchiha Itachi returned to Sasuke's side, saying regretfully, "Naruto, the situation is grave. I need to report this to the Fourth Hokage. You and Sasuke must return immediately."